Headlines

CBS News is reporting that former New York City public radio host John Hockenberry, who left his show earlier this year, is being accused of sexual misconduct by an author and some of his former colleagues.

(By Mike McVay) A recent conversation with a PD set my head a spinning. This individual and I were discussing the ratings struggle of their once highly rated morning show. The PD opined “this show just isn’t that good.” That comment really hit me the wrong way on so many levels.

Santa Monica public station KCRW-FM is eliminating 28 jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The station is expecting a 30% reduction in its operating budget due to a big drop in corporate sponsorships.

(By Rob Dumke) May 22 is a day like no other for folks living in Southwest Missouri. "Everybody is a bit more on edge when this day rolls around each year," according to Thom Watts, Operations Manager for Zimmer Radio in Joplin, Missouri. It was in 2011 that a deadly EF-5 tornado devastated the city, killing 161 people.

Within 48 hours of severe weather striking Louisiana, Cumulus Media Shreveport organized a significant water and food giveaway for local residents affected by the storms. The storms caused widespread power outages in the area, leading to food shortages.

Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz have been put on leave pending investigations into allegations of inappropriate conduct. Details of any allegations were not made public. On the WNYC website, New York Public Radio CEO Laura Walker said the station "takes these kinds of allegations very seriously and is reviewing these matters promptly."

Benztown has added what it is billing as an advanced show prep service. The Rooster, along with common show-prep elements, offers produced bits, as well as phone calls and content for stations’ own blogs.

(By Jay Stevens) When I was programming day to day at WPGC in DC I created an acronym, I.L.T.E. We pronounced it Ill-Tee and it stood for: Interesting, Local, Topical, Entertaining. This was the filter that content had to go through to make it on the air.

(By Andrew Curran) Frequent flyers on American Airlines account for just 13% of total passengers but deliver 50% of annual revenue. In a similar way for radio, consumption is driven by the heavy listeners who deliver, on average, four times the occasions and TSL as light users.

The inaugural Barrett News Media Summit taking place this September in Nashville has added another powerful pair from radio for a keynote conversation. Hubbard Radio CEO Ginny Morris and Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott will discuss the state of news/talk.